Time Share
by Aussiegirl41
Summary: Movie: For All Time, starring Mary McDonnell and Mark Harmon. Laura tries to understand why Charles has suddenly become so anxious. Short fanfic I wrote when thinking about whether or not Charles would ever brave train travel again. This was actually the first fanfic I wrote outside the bsg fandom. Laura/Charles


Laura sipped her coffee, eyeing her husband through the steam rising from her mug. She could gauge his mood quite easily after almost 18 months of marriage—and something was definitely bothering him.

He glanced in her direction, and she slowly smiled and raised one eyebrow, silently enquiring what was causing his anxiety. He looked away quickly, his eyebrows knitting together as he began to once again engage their guests in conversation.

Their guests were gentlemen from St Louis they were hoping to go with into business. Henry and Raymond Singer's company would assist them in editing and printing the newspaper, and in return take a percentage of the profits from advertising.

She and Charles did not want to relinquish control of the _Gazette_, but with recent events occurring like they had, it seemed the only, and wisest, direction for them to take. Now Laura worried that Charles was changing his mind.

She placed her empty mug on the table and studied Charles again. His discomfort was not abating.

Laura stood. If she bid her guests goodnight, they may follow her lead. "If you'll excuse me gentlemen, I'm afraid I tire very easily these days."

The men all rose politely out of their chairs, nodding and murmuring understandingly, considering her current condition.

Charles came around the table, placed a hand on her arm and guided her to the base of the stairs. Once there, he lit a candle and handed it to her before placing a small chaste kiss upon her cheek.

"Goodnight, dear," he said aloud for their audience.

His eyes told her much more. He wanted to come to their bed too, and he knew she wasn't at all tired.

"Goodnight." Laura nodded farewell, and made her way up to their bedroom, hoping she would not have long to wait.

It was almost an hour later when Charles finally walked into the bedroom, after seeing the two men on their way and closing up the house for the night.

Laura was still awake, sitting at her dressing table, brushing her thick wave of hair.

He absentmindedly took the brush from his wife's fingers and took over her nightly ritual.

She never said a word; just leaned back into the bristles and hummed contentedly.

It was all it took for him to need her warmth closer.

"Come to bed?" he asked, putting down the brush and watching for her reaction in the mirror.

As he knew she would, she blushed prettily and agreed with a throaty 'yes'.

Charles lifted Laura's small delicate hand into his, and guided her the short distance to their bed, sinking into the feather down mattress beside her.

He slid Laura's nightgown up over her head, tossing it in the general direction of the rocking chair which sat in the corner of the room.

She was naked beneath, and he immediately dipped his head to suckle one of her dusty pink nipples deep into his mouth. His fingers twisted the other, carefully, with just the right amount of pressure. They had been extra sensitive since she had become pregnant.

"Charles…" His name escaped her lips with a sigh.

He lowered his mouth, kissing the gentle swell of her belly.

"Hello baby," he whispered into her skin.

He felt, rather than heard, her breathless laugh beneath his mouth.

"Charles? Are you going to tell me what was wrong tonight?"

He sighed, kissed her navel and moved to stand beside the bed.

He couldn't hide anything from her.

He kept his back to her as he removed his clothes, methodically folding and placing them in a neat pile. He would need to wear them again before they would be laundered. He grimaced, remembering a time when his suits were delivered back to his door by the drycleaners.

She shifted to kneel on the bed behind him, her hands wrapping around to tuck under his arms and squeeze his chest.

"I know you are always very careful when you talk to anyone outside of the family, but you seemed even more anxious tonight."

When Charles had returned to stay and live in the past, he'd soon noticed that his tone of speech and modern expressions were noticeably different to his new acquaintances. He now thought well before he spoke in any exchange, so as not to give himself away. His only time to relax and be himself completely was with Laura.

"You do not like them?" Laura asked. "We can look for another partner if you don't think they will be suitable to go into business with. Doctor Mason says I'm only a few months along. We have time."

"No, no, that's not it."

"Then, what is it?"

Laura pressed herself against his back, and he felt her bump against his lower spine. It aroused him, like it always had since the moment she had shared the news with him.

He turned, pushing her shoulders until she lay back down. He settled between her legs, resting his head on her thighs.

He could easily distract her away from his idiotic fears.

He let his head fall to the side so he could swirl his tongue around. He felt his own excitement grow as she quivered and writhed due to his gentle caresses. The sweet scent of her arousal tempted him.

Then, she suddenly stilled beneath him. "Is it me?" she asked in a fretful tone.

"You? Is what you?"

She shrugged. "You married this independent woman who offered you intellectual stimulation. Now, I'm going to stay at home and tend to the house and our children."

He crawled up her body. "Laura, are you insane? Having another child will not mean we'll stop having anything to talk about."

"But—"

Charles raised a hand, signalling her to stay quiet.

"I love you; that's the problem."

She frowned, baffled. "That's a problem?"

He sighed, knowing she would not rest until he revealed the reason for his apprehension. His pride where she was concerned had made him hesitate up until now.

"Henry Singer wants me to come up to St Louis to meet with the staff he is assigning to the _Gazette,_" he admitted.

"That sounds like a good idea." She spoke slowly; still trying to understand why he was upset at the prospect.

He lay down, tugging her into position so they were spooning together.

"It would mean taking the train into the city."

He cupped her breasts, and smiled as she instinctively ground her ass against him invitingly.

"I haven't been on the train since I came back," he explained. "What if it doesn't take me to St Louis now, but returns me to the 21st century."

"But you don't have the watch anymore."

"I know…But still…I couldn't take that chance. What if I had no choice and I left you, the baby, Mary?"

Laura rolled over and reached up to cup his cheek, rubbing her thumb over his mouth before leaning over to kiss him.

"You think I'm being a pussy?" he asked.

"A pussy?" She blinked. "I thought you said pussy meant—" she broke off, biting down on her bottom lip, her eyes darting downwards automatically.

He tipped his head back and laughed.

"Yes! It does." He cupped her mound and stroked around her folds until her eyelids fluttered closed. "It also means a wimp."

She lolled her head from side to side. "I don't know 'wimp'," she murmured.

"A weakling, coward."

"Oh!" she moaned. "No, no, of course I don't think you're being a coward," she said in a rush as he began to rub circles around her clit.

He continued with the pressure until she cried out his name as she came.

He licked his fingers, eager for more, but prepared to give her a few moments to recover.

"Charles!" she gasped. "I have an idea."

"I have one or two as well," he said suggestively, nudging his erection into her leg.

She gave him a playful smack on the chest. "About the train."

"Oh that," he replied. He now had much more interesting subjects to focus on.

"Mary and I will come with you. It's actually much easier now that mother has passed. If you do return to your time, we'll return with you."

He stopped kissing her neck and sat back on his haunches.

"Laura, you couldn't. Returning to my time…"

Oddly, the possibility had never occurred to him.

"I'd adapt. You've had to adapt to my time."

"Yes."

...00...00...

The next Friday, Laura, along with her husband and daughter, boarded the train with the official destination of St Louis. She sat between them, holding each of their hands tightly. She didn't know where the train would actually take them, but it didn't matter, as long as they arrived together.


End file.
